Carmichael Research Lab

Welcome to The Carmichael Lab!

The Carmichael Group consists of a group of researchers interested in developing a broad range of new electronic devices – from large-area flexible and stretchable electronic devices to nanoscale molecular tunneling junctions.The Group is lead by Dr. Tricia Carmichael, you can follow her on

Our research group encompasses a wide range of expertise, with a central theme of chemistry and engineering at surfaces and interfaces. We work on integrating functional materials such as metals, carbon nanotubes, nanowires, graphene, and electroluminescent materials with elastomers to prepare stretchable device components, and then bringing these components together to make stretchable electronic devices.

A particular area of focus is intrinsically stretchable devices, in which the active device area itself can withstand tensile strain (A video of a light-emitting electrochemical cell being stretched can be found here.

We also work on developing new self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and studying their transport properties in molecular tunneling junctions using a eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) top electrode. We have established a variety of new SAMs to study that are made from dithiophosphinic acid derivatives (DTPAs). DTPAs chelate to the underlying gold substrate to enhance charge injection. Unlike other chelating adsorbates, however, chelation of DTPAs can be easily disrupted by grain boundaries and step edge defects of the underlying gold substrate.

Consequently, another aspect of our work is developing chemical-mechanical polishing to prepare nearly atomically smooth gold surfaces for SAM formation.

Click on our publications to get an idea what we have done recently, take a peek at the group, go on a lab tour to get an idea of our facilities. It all starts by clicking on the MENU button at the top of the screen.

News

* Welcome to Sara, Kory, and Britanny as Grad Students.* Welcome to the Carmichael Lab: Aaron and Erica* Congratulations to Sara Mechael for winning best 410 Thesis in Chemistry!* Congrats to Heather on her new position with Canada Revenue Agency!